The Truth behind the SHADOW
by skelebon
Summary: I will fool no one by saying that I have had a happy life, And I can only dream of living the life that the stories think I have. Regardless, of Who they think I am... Regardless, of Who I have become... I am here to tell my tale, How I survived, How I lead, How I hold up the Shield Wall, Even when I had lost Everything.
1. The Awakening

So you want to know my story, do you? This tale has no end, as it is just another flicker in the eternal struggle between Man and Grim. Why it interests you makes no sense to me, as there are better legends that are a lot more cheerful than my own. Look up the stories of Arc, Nikos, and of Nira, the tales of the greatest Hunters and Huntresses to ever have ever lived. You know the names, the stories you can find in the library under fiction? Or maybe you heard them from your parents before it was time to sleep?

"The heroes of old defending the remaining wisps of Light from the descending onslaught of Grim."

These three stories are what every Hunter and Huntress aspires to be, happy endings… ignore their claims or begging for an honorable death on the battlefield. What we really want is not to die with honor, but to live long enough to see our children prosper. I doubt that the scholars writing this know how terrifying it is to have an enemy fall before you, only to have three Majors replace it. I doubt the teachers for those "safe" schools know the fear of seeing your friends and team fall, not knowing if they were still alive. Hell, some officers do not appreciate the burden it is to have the lives of your friends and love on your shoulder. I don't blame them, the loss of loved ones, seeing a young life cut short, not knowing if you are going to make it home at night… these are things I would NEVER wish on my worst enemies. Do you know why I don't hate civilians and civilian jobs?

It is because I FIGHT, so that they can have that privilege. I BLEED so they don't, and achieve victory so they can smile. If I die the unsung hero, then let the people I died to protect at least see me taking out a dozen Grimmlings with me. Hate me if you want, despise what I do, Ostracize my kin, love me, worship me, aspire to be me. Do whatever it is that you please, but never follow my footsteps. This world needs only one of me, not ten, not a hundred, hell I think one is all this world can take. It wouldn't do to have several hundred thousand Fauna suddenly develop Amnesia. If this does come to pass, I will ensure they actually have Amnesia via blunt force trauma by some one from the Valkyrie Family.

Do you REALLY want to know my story? This tale has no beginning I recall, and if the scholar ends up writing this he can either end up shaking his head in the sheer stupidity of this so called "Legend" or be blushing from ear to ear at how I leave out almost no detail of my personal life. I keep being asked to start at the first thing I remember, in order to dispel the myth and bring forth the truth of my history.

So let us begin The Legend of a Wolfe… beginning with the flaming obvious...

Want to know what sucks more than freezing cold water? Freezing cold water while being trapped in a testing tube.

_Breath in…_ I take in a breath of air tainted with medical scent.

_Breath out_… I release.

I can't remember how long I did that pattern, it never occurred to me to try to do anything about my bindings. I was perfectly content on simply breathing, never had to eat, never got bored, slept when I wanted to. To my sheltered senses there was not a thing wrong with my world because there WAS no world. There was nothing to smell besides air and my eyes only saw this odd blur when they were open so I simply kept them shut. Living that way was the simplest experience I have ever had; the only time I can remember where I was completely relaxed. There was no Grim invasion, no need to train, no need to worry, no need to stress, no need to do anything since I just WAS. I lived in the purest form of ignorance, and I can give you my word with out any need of hesitation that what they say is true.

"Ignorance is bliss.".

Think about it, anyone who says otherwise has never experienced or even seen someone who has lived in true ignorance. Someone or something raises every sentient and even non-sentient life. Whether that is by some combination of parents, a loving environment, cruel reality or so one, even they cannot experience bliss on this basis since they have actually lived in a life where there are changes. Think on your life, the sun rises, the sun falls, the moons rise to replace it and at the end of the night the sun replaces it. This is a change, a continuous cycle yet it has change nonetheless. I was not given that opportunity in my tube; my only change was my breathing. I lived that life since there was no other life to live. I would continue to live in that god forsaken tank had not life threatening event changed it all…

I ran out of fucking air.

It wasn't immediately terrifying, seeing as I didn't initially know I was drowning. I first noticed it when the gas stopped coming in, at that point the only thought that was on my mind was that it was strange to be without that oddly scented substance. This curiosity increased dramatically when my lungs started to burn, an altogether new experience for me. There was in no way for me to under stand what the bleedin' hells was going on, yet suddenly I thought something that was as if it was not _mine_. It was an instinctual acknowledgement and understanding on how deep I was in trouble. That bestial part of my mind that both Fauna and Humans share that studied my lack of air and the wetness that surrounded me. It was this part of my mind that came up with the genius inspiring conclusion.

_Im drowning._

My first response was my increased curiosity. Before I did not even _know_ the verb 'drown' yet here I was using it in a sentence with complete understanding of what it was. Then and there I learned that 'drowning' was the process that involved slowly dying due to lack of oxygen intake. I studied this fact, I knew to 'drown' I needed to be under water… did this mean that I was under water? If so, how long? This changed spiraled my bliss into eternity to never return. With this no scrap of information I began to question my existence in that location. I began to ask questions, "Who am I? What am I? How did I get here? Where is 'here'? Why am I asking these questions now? What is a 'question'?". I looked at the world in a whole new light due to the fact that something was starving of oxygen. It was then where my instincts became more urgent, egging me on to ask the right questions with more and more desperation. Before long, the uncomfortable burn that began in my lungs went from annoying nuisance to a candle. My instincts and cries from my lungs caused the rational part of my brain to come to the finally conclusion.

_You. Fucking. Idiot. If you don't do something in the next thirty seconds you are DEAD!_

Death, Dying, Decay, Loss of Life, Life being stolen, the Absence of Life, Aging... Even in my ignorance I understood what the phrase meant. It is difficult to explain the bestial instincts that have no equivalent in any language with complete and absolute accuracy. The best I could explain my comprehension of death would be "The End that Ends it All.". My rational part of my mind could not understand this. I could not understand what the flying hells was going on to me. The fire burning in my lungs persisted and I was getting more and more scared, the flickering candle jumping to an all out inferno of pain. This hurt increased drastically when I opened my eyes in my panic, eyes darting around to find something to do.

_I am dying. _My mind screamed

_By the Dust I am DYING_

Instinctually, I felt my body surround itself with my aura in order to protect me from an assailant. In a sound less scream I felt the aura reject the bindings that kept me down, pushing away the strange device that fed me air. Ignoring instinct's cries for air, I fought the urge to breathe. Instead I raised my fist, my aura moving to cover it in preparation for what I was about to do. Gathering all of my fading strength, I struck outward and destroyed the cage that held me from salvation. I realized now that had I done a normal punch in that situation, I would not be here now. In order to escape, I had to completely shatter the door to my prison so that I would not be restricted in my next action. With another soundless roar I surrounded myself with my aura in a split second _pushed_ as hard and fast as I could away with my aura to dispel any water that was near me.

The cold touch that I was made comfortable with was instantly replaced with the inviting warmth of the outside air. I gasped, taking in the air I so desperately needed, breathing in the air so hard that it actually hurt me and sent me in a coughing fit. Feeling light headed and seeing black spots dance in my eyes caused me to promptly collapse onto the ground. The pain was too strong for me to question gravity or the meaning of life, the significance of both I landed on the floor chest first, abusing my already weak lungs.

"Where is it!?" I croaked to myself. "Where is my sword, my shield?". The fear of losing my weapons pushed through my pain and allowed me to focus enough on getting myself to my feet, slowly, carefully as to not teeter over. It was then I realized that I had fallen on something, and that there was a strong stink in the air. The shape of whatever fell was familiar, but all together unwelcome even without the stink involved. Initially I ignored it, opting to instead stretch out my uncomfortable muscles and joints, numerous 'pops' filled the air as carried out my movements. While I stretched I also inspected my surroundings, noting that at the very least my clothing could be found near by. It was then and only then that I looked down and recognize the fact that I had in fact fallen on a corpse of a sentient torn to beyond recognition save for the ID on their chest. I resisted the sudden need to wretch empty insides as I bent down and quickly plucked up the ID.

"Poor bastard…" I said to the fallen scientist. "Sorry, but I have to use this… not like it is going to do you much good." I held the card and reached into another tube for clothing that must have been my own. Thankful for the some what familiar fabric, I slipped on the clothing crested with my family symbol. Before putting on my black shirt, I looked on the back to see the wolf's head design that matched the tattoo on my left shoulder blade. I pulled then pulled on the underwear and black cargo pants, digging around one of the tubes for a pair of socks and shoes. Ideally, I wouldn't rely completely on my Aura to protect me since I normally had some sort of armor to protect me… but I wasn't in an ideal situation. "I wonder if I will ever get the chance to make this sign famous again… If Dad heard me saying that he would say I wasn't trained enough to fight a real grim- ". I cut the rest of what I said off as I realized the implications of my situation, all in the reverse order.

_I just fell on a BODY… oh god there are bloodstains EVERYWHERE._ I thought as I examined the room for once.

_I nearly drowned in that thing… what the hell was that any way?_ I thought as I looked at the shattered remains of my cell.

_Where the hell is this place anyway?_ I thought as I looked at the corpse.

_How long have I been here?_ _My body feels the same, though that could be due to whatever they were making me breathe…_

I had to shake my head firmly, like a dog shaking off water, so that I could get my brain on track again.

_STOP! Focus! THEN I can think of a way to get me the hell out of … where ever this place is._ I thought, my hand reaching for my not present sword. _Right… maybe I should find my weapons since they are obviously not here…_

I look around the room, noting how the METAL door had been torn almost completely out of its frame. _Here is to hoping whatever got in isn't still around, else this will be the most pathetic escape attempt ever…_

I looked near my foot and picked up a dagger-sized scrap in my hands. _It isn't Excalibur or anything… but at least I won't be fighting Grim with tooth and nail, huh, I wonder what they taste like anyway?_

When I stepped out of my prison room, I was completely taken back at the absolute chaos that left not a spot clean. All around I saw the long-dead corpses of what I now saw to be Humans in lab coats. Along with their blood and entrails scattered on the walls and ceiling, forcing me to tread carefully through their remains. _I can't tell what is worse, what happened to these poor sods or the fact that they were experimenting on me._ I thought to myself, checking my clothes to ensure none of my vomit hadn't contaminated them. _Blood? Sure. Corpses? Okay… but this place was an absolute massacre, did the scientists even TRY to put up a fight? At the very least I could give the one who thought it was a good idea to have a completely functioning bathroom near my tube thing, and that no one died while taking a piss._

I shook my head to clear the run away thoughts, "Think positive, and try to ignore the fact that you will be stepping through the intestines of men and women who used you as a lab rat… Seriously, how many puppies did I burn in my past life to deserve this?" I stopped my rant there, gathering my breath for the extremely stupid thing I was about to do. I stared at myself in the reflection as I gathered my Aura to help concentrate on something- _anything_ besides the fact I was about to cross a room with corpses.

_Not helping!_ And with that thought I turned and _sprinted_ down the hall, taking the risk of falling and snapping my neck instead of trying to enjoy the morbid scenery. I hopped from dried bloodstain to another, doing all I could to avoid stepping on either the guts or their respective owners. I tried to move faster than I ever thought I possibly could simply so I could stay out of Hell's Hall way for the least amount of time. If I hadn't vomited earlier, the stench of the decaying would have sent me sprinting back to the bathroom. As it was, I regulated my breathing so that I could continue on before nearly passing out again. I raised my head to see that in half a minute I would crash headlong into a still locked door.

"Please give your Identification." Said a pleasant robotic voice.

_You blithering idiot! You should have checked to make sure it was locked!_

As I continued to curse to myself, I drop the scrap as I reached back into one of my pockets and tore out the ID I had looted from the first scientists' corpse. As I raised it toward the door, I saw a light that shot out and scanned the ID I held before me. Recognizing the code, the door opened and I barely managed to shoot through them. Seeing that I made it through, I dove and rolled to a stop and landed in the center of the room. I waited there silently, searching for any sirens or the like that did not ring. Seeing that I was safe, I turned to examine the room and sighed in absolute relief for the very first time in my new life. Raising myself to my feet, I walked in the relatively clean room to the altar that lay opposite of my entrance. On the altar lay the-_my _sword and shield, thankfully with the blade still in tack.

_At least they didn't keep them too far away from me, though what tests they were doing on them is beyond me. _I thought as I stepped up to the domed altar. As I searched for some sort of latch, I quickly found that the dome had not even a hinge or some sort of indication that it opened at all.

_Of course they would try to protect the things… ah well, time for plan B!_ I thought, finishing with an evil smile. I called upon my aura once more, raising my fist in order to carry out my second plan. Reminding myself that I should take care to avoid striking my weapons, I hit with all I could against the top of the glass, hooking my arm up and down. As my fist made contact with the glass, a siren blasted through my sensitive hearing.

"_Intruder! Identify yourself!"._ I heard a multitude of robotic voices cry. Slowly, I picked up my weapons and put them in my inside pocket. Attempting some sort of smile, I turned toward them and tried to give off an air of confidence.

"No worries! I have the Identification, so don't shoot me!" I say as I show them the ID I had picked up.

"Scientist 001 Is deceased, a woman, and a human being. These parameters have not been met and thus termination will follow if proper Identification is not given.".

"She lent me her card! Come on! I left my card at the front… err, Initiate Code Alpha-1-3-Zeta-9-Omega?" I say desperately, returning the ID card to my pocket.

To my total astonished surprise, the robots froze in their tracks.

"_Processing Acquire Code…"_

_Yeah, forgive me if I don't give you the chance to do that._ I thought as I launched myself at the nearest robot.

"_Stop! O-" _ The machine managed to say before I landed on it, smashing its head into the ground. Hearing the machines turn toward me, I flip to the side and closer to another robot. Not a split second after my jump did the machines begin firing at where I used to be.

_Thank dust that these are cheap models. _I think to myself, landing in a roll that moved me between the legs of another machine. Latching onto its back, I twisted so that the bullets shot at me would hit robot I was riding while the bullets said robot was spraying took down two others. Pushing myself off the riddled machine, I pulled my weapons and extended them to their battle form, holding the shield to protect my crouched form. The machines responded quickly, shooting at a fruitless attempt to break through my shield. I focused on the rattling of the guns in order to estimate their number and their movements.

… _Looks like ten at most… five at least if they all have two guns…_ I hear a break in their fire, and before I can take advantage they resume firing. _Damn it! So just their armor is weak… Time to do something stupid before they can do something smart…_

I thought to myself as I rose to my feet, calling forth my Aura. I kept my shield in front of me, relying on it and my aura to protect me from the combined gunfire. I charged forward, wincing slightly at the rounds that collided with my legs.

"My turn!" I cry out, slamming my shield into a machine to knock it off balance. The blow launched it completely off its feet and into another enemy. I quickly pounced on the pair, landing with my sword point first into the chest of both machines. Noticing I was in the center of the group, I jump toward two machines standing too close together and flick my blade outward to cut their weapons in half. Spinning one final time, I cut both the machines in vital areas just before landing on my feet. Charging toward the group again, I note that only three of the machines remain standing.

_They made this a tad too easy…_

At half the distance, I threw my shield as hard as I could at the closest machine and with a metallic _crunch_ it cleaved into the machines chest. I leaped onto my shield, and jumped again as I took off the head of the machine that was my platform. Flipping through the air, I landed on the ceiling and kicked off toward one of the last remaining machines. Knocking the machine to the ground, I stab once my sword into its chest once before rolling to my feet to face the final enemy.

"Looks like it's just you and me... feel like giving up?" I say, "Don't worry, I won't even ask for an ID." Unfortunately, the last machine didn't act as if I was worthy of an answer. Instead, I saw its weapon shift into a sword as it leapt toward me. Dodging the humming blade, I dove for my shield and wrenched it out of my fallen foe. I had just placed the shield on my arm when the machine dashed toward me once more with its sword prepared for a stab. Flicking the weapon to the side, my return strike with the shield strikes it in the chest, causing to stagger backward.

_Wonderful… this one is made of something else._ I growl to myself, circling my enemy. Thankful for the brief respite, I look at the machine and make note of different things, such as the black stripe that went from the top of its chest piece to the bottom. Had I not been in the middle of a battle, I might have let out a sigh at the fact that my enemy had a general lack of weak points.

_If I can't find a way, I will make a way... and I said history will never help me in a battle._ I think to myself.

I laughed at the machine, "Come on! Just fight me already, Tin Can!" _Yeah, lets go out of our way to annoy the thing that doesn't have any emo-_ I manage to think when it interrupted with a sword swipe.

"_Surrender!" _it said in its metallic tone.

"We are way past that point now, buddy." I growl, ducking under an attack that would have taken my head off. I attempted to counter with a strike to the chest, but it was deflected with a raised arm. Seeing that it was about to hack at my leg, I jump over the sweep and kick as hard as I could in its chest. Flipping off, I flicked my blade and parried a stab before landing on the ground. I struck out again with my shield, only to have it trip me as it dodged out of my way. Right as I was about to hit the ground, I controlled my fall and leapt to my feet once more. The moment that I rose I was forced to lean backward to avoid the sword that would have cut into my neck.

_That's it, enough is enough!_ I shouted in my mind. I looked up to see the blade about to descend. I growled as I brought my aura to my arms, blocking the blow with my shield. I winced as I felt the ground crack beneath me. I pushed back against the robot, pushing it off balance. As it stumbled backward, I stabbed at its leg and brought it to its knees. After deflecting an attack aimed at my neck, I whipped my blade around and severed my enemy's hand from the wrist. I flicked my blade out and stabbed its head, barely raising my shield in time to block the robot's fist. I growled in frustration as I severed the robot's remaining hand and stabbed it in the chest, twisting and ripping upward for good measure. I kicked the robot's remains away as I shifted my weapons out of their battle forms, making absolutely sure that the thing was dead.

… _Have to give that thing credit that was an annoying fight._ I thought to myself as I turned away, for the first time noticing the terminal in the room. Walking toward the terminal, I brought out the ID card and turned it over in my hand.

"… Damn it!" I swore out loud, for on the very back of the ID card was what looked like a password written in very hasty handwriting.

"I should have noticed this earlier… would have saved me from fighting that pain in the ass." I mumble to myself "… Well, at the very least I got what I came for, now to figure out where the hell this is and what the hell I'm doing here." I say to myself as I close in on the terminal, finally noticing that it had a still smoking bullet hole in the middle of the screen.

… _Or not._

No sooner had the thought passed through my mind, did I smell a scent, passed the blood and decay that was around me, passed the oil leaking onto the ground. Spinning, I whipped out my sword and faced my new attacker.

"Who are you?" She asked.


	2. Saving the Voice

**(A/N) I had a burst of creativity and decided to put this next on up really quick**

"Who are you?" asked a voice through static. The random voice startled me, and in a flash I had drawn my sword and shield, flicking my ears around so I could find the true source. To my confusion, I only found the left over debris of my battle in the room. I cautiously lowered my sword and shield, straining my eyes and ears to find where the mystery voice came from.

"Can you hear me?" The voice said again, coming from a stereo tucked into the ceiling.

_Well… I definitely didn't see that one coming… Should I answer?_ I thought to myself, putting away my sword and shield. _On one hand, she might be my only way out of here… then again, she could be the very reason I am here in the first place._

"You should be able to hear me, even though we can't see each other.".

_...Looks like I need to improvise. _"Don't worry, it works." I said slowly, "Who-?"

"Oh thank dust." The voice sighed to itself. "Now we have a chance to get out of here."

_Well, she doesn't sound like one of the scientists at least. _"Speaking of which, where is _here_ any way?" I ask, slightly annoyed at being interrupted.

"I can answer some of your questions later, but for now I am going to need your help." Said the voice.

"Wait a second, I was in that tube for God knows how long." I snap, "You could at the very least tell me what the hell is going on here!".

"I will tell you… but _later_!" The voice insisted, "Look, I am sort of stuck right now and I need help."

_Great, more decisions… Do I help her? or do I just leave her here? Then again, she still might know something. _"I MIGHT help… depending on who you are."

"And you MIGHT get out without my help,"

_Damn! She got me there. _"I might." I shrug.

"And you MIGHT get answers without my help.".

"And there MIGHT be a map that I can use."

"Is this a bad time to mention that the exit is being guarded by robots?"

"They shouldn't be a problem." I shrug.

"True, but where do you plan to go after this?"

"What's your point?" I ask, frustration rising.

"I know where we are, I know where the nearest city is, and I also know that if you don't help me you'll be going in the wrong direction."

I growl in annoyance "Fine, damn it! Tell me where I can find you."

"Do you see some kind of computer? There should be a map on it." The voice answered.

"Uh…". I laugh nervously. "How many computers are in the room?".

"… I am pretty sure there is only one." Replied the voice.

"Is there another one nearby?" I ask slowly.

"… That one is the only map terminal on that floor…" The voice answered.

"… Damn it." I sigh to myself, "Read me the directions, the terminal might've gotten shot while I was fighting these tin cans." I say, kicking a piece of said bot as I did so.

"You have got to be kidding me…" she replied, along with a smack as her palm hit her face.

"What? It can't really be that bad can it?".

"Some one messed with the communications." She answered, "The room you are in is the only one I managed to get working, I'm not exactly a tech expert."

"That can't be the only problem, can it?".

"Well, you might have been able to disable the bots between here and there."

"Yeah… " I sighed "But that would have made things easy, and Fate isn't known for her forgiving attitude."

"Meaning?"

"Of course the thing took a hit, having a working terminal is too convenient for us so it had to go."

"…wha-?"

"Moving on." I interrupt "How complicated are the directions?"

"Just exit the room and follow the red path, take the elevator, then follow the green path."

"Could you please be mor-?" I started to ask.

"Just follow the red arrow on the floor, get on the elevator, then follow the green arrow." She sighed.

_No need to be like that, I had to be sure! _"What do I do when I get there?" I asked.

Slide that security card you tried to use earlier and it will unlock the door."

"… So you locked yourself in?"

"… Hurry up." She snapped, just before cutting off.

_I can tell we're going to get along great._ I chuckle to myself, before looking on the floor for the red arrow.

… _huh… You would think they would have made it a bit more obvious._ I think to myself. I studied the ground with care, kicking aside fallen debris. _… Or at the very least make it so that it can be easily seen through debris.._

I lift the torso of the bot that had the black strip. "Ooooh arrow?" I ask in a singsong voice. "Where are you?" 

"_Freeze!" _Shouted a robotic voice.

_Oh god damn it!_ I spun around, drawing my sword and shield to face my enemy.

"_Surrender! Go to room F6 for questioning and interrogation!"_ The robot was taller than the others (and me) with a red stripe down its center, along with a pole equally as tall as it was in its grip.

_Should I run? _It was then when I finally noticed the red arrow, leading to a doorway behind the bot. "Looks like I don't have a choice." I mutter to myself.

"_Final warn-"_

"Oh, shove it!." I growl. "Show me what you got, Tin Can!"

As an answer, it released a blade on each side of the pole and charged at me.

_Crap, now I've done it!_ I think as I flipped over a swing. As I landed, I rolled under another cut that whistled over my head. When I got to my feet I stepped into its next slash, using my blade to keep myself from being split in two. The bot then spun away as it attacked, the sound of metal on metal rang out as I blocked it.

_Damn this thing is fast! _I think to myself as I blocked a fury of blows with my shield. Ignoring its feint toward my head, I jumped straight up to dodge its leg swipe. The bot blocked my descending cleave, just before flipping me over it with a hard kick to my chest. I swore loudly as I twisted in the air to land on my feet. I then quickly spun as I landed, slamming its stab away with my shield. I lashed out with a front kick, knocking it slightly off balance.

"Got you now!" I snarl, slashing vertically. The bot blocked my blow as it kneeled, but could do nothing as I slid my blade down to sever its fingers. I stepped to its left and cut off its remaining hand, following up with a stab through its neck. In a bright display of sparks, shook violently as it fell to the ground.

"And st-!" I try to gloat, but was interrupted by a loud noise and something ramming into the side of my head. Ignoring the loud ringing in my ears, I recovered by twisting again through the air, landing with my shield facing my new opponent. The new was smaller than the last one, only slightly taller than me. I quickly glanced toward its chest before I rolled to the left, noting the grey streak and the scoped rifle in its grasp.

_Good thing my Aura is still up_ I think to myself as I noticed the bright silver light that surrounded my form. Staying crouched, I yelled around the shield, "Is that the best you got!?". As an answer, the bot tried to shoot through my shield.

_NOW!_ I thought as I rose to my feet. I threw my sword with a growl, managing to impale the bot through the shin. I quickly dove toward the fallen bot and picked up its discarded weapon, ducking under my shield just in time to dodge a bullet streaking over-head. I quickly focused my aura into my arm, surrounding it with a soft silver glow. I then leapt into the air, jumping over yet another shot. I yelled out, throwing the weapon through my enemy's chest and impaling it into the ground. Upon landing I rolled forward, sprinting as the bot attempted to cock its rifle. I quickly yanked out my sword and separated its head from its shoulders.

"Don't interrupt me Scrappy." I say, searching the hallway for any more robots.

"Whatever you just did, they didn't like it." Came the voice over the intercom.

"Were those bots linked?" I sighed softly to my self.

"I would guess so, they look like they're getting ready for an ambush.".

_Wonderful_ "How many?" I ask with a sigh.

"A dozen maybe?" She quickly answers.

"Weapons?"

"Standard ones."

"Wonderful, is it so much to ask that I actually get the drop on someone?" I sigh.

"Sorry to interrupt your whining, but if you don't start moving their ambush will be prepared."

"Fine, whatever." I growl. "What can I expect after this fight?" I ask as I walk towards the exit.

"It should be a straight path to the elevator." She answered.

"Well, there is that at least." I mumble,

"What was that?"

"Don't go anywhere!" I said instead, just before charging through the open doors with my shield leading the way. Immediately after entering through the doorway, I was pelted by rounds from all sides.

"_Terminate: Intruder!" _

Ignoring the constant pinging from the ricochets, I jumped up and to the left, bouncing off the ceiling as I landed behind a bot. I then quickly stabbed the bot through the back as tried to turn and continue firing. As the bot fell, I pulled myself off and pushed off toward another, punching its head clean off with my shield.

_Two down- make that three!_ I thought to myself as I spun just before landing, cutting through another bot's neck. Raising my shield once more, I blocked the burst of rounds coming from the remaining bots. Snarling, I dashed forward and cut off its limbs. I then spun around the fallen bot, cutting the next one through its midsection and completing my turn after slicing through the last bots head. Charging my Aura, I leapt over the former bot's still standing legs and fell downward, cutting the next bot in half.

_Six… half-way there… why are they standing in a line?_ I thought as I sidestepped a stock-strike aimed at my chest, countering by stabbing it hard through its head. Using it as a kick-board, I jumped off it and kicked another bots head as hard as I could.

_Damn, not my best move! _I thought, feeling the jolt throughout my entire leg as the robot went backward and crashed into another, falling into a satisfying heap. Before it could rise I threw my sword at them, impaling both to the ground. Dashing to retrieve my sword, I ripped it out of the bot's chest before raising my shield to confront the remaining bots. I sprinted up with a feral grin and cut across my body, taking off a leg. I then side-stepped a kick and severed another leg, stabbing the bot as it fell to the ground. I then jumped above a burst of shots, letting them take care of the bot behind me. I then threw my shield at the bot's chest, making it stumble the remaining bot. The final bot simply bashed it aside readied its aim, raising its arms just as I stabbed its chest and lifted it off the ground.

"You should have treated me seriously." I growled before kicking the bot, smashing it against the wall. "Any other things you wan to tell me about?" I said to the intercom.

Silence... _Right, she did something about the comms not working... wonderful._ I thought as I sheathed my blade. I turned and continued down the path of the red arrow.

- ( Line Break) -

…"This looks like an elevator all right…" I mutter to myself, finally reaching the end of the red arrow. "Wonder if it still works…." I pressed the button to call it down.

The intercom scratched something out, forcing me to try to cover my ears.

"Do me the favor of NEVER doing that again!" I snapped at the comm "Don't worry, I can remember the bloody directions! All I got to do is follow the green arrow right? There's probably a green button for the green arrow anyway."

"Wait!" it managed to get out, just before the doors opened.

"Wait for- God fucking damn it!" I shout, "Who the hell do I have to kill to catch a break!" My voice echoed down the empty elevator shaft. I leaned over and looked down, noticing that there didn't appear to be a cable nearby.

_Means that the elevator is above me, and in my way… Or it is crashed against the ground._ I thought to myself, rubbing my chin. _So it's a fifty-fifty chance that there will be an elevator… yeah lets just take the stairs._

Stepping away from the shaft, I looked around for anything remotely resembling what I was searching for. Noticing the door nearby, I walked toward it and quickly kicked it open…

…Revealing the stairs I was looking for, guarded by a Bot with a shotgun leveled at my head.

_Oh, what the- give me a bloody break!_ I thought as I ducked under the gun, kicking it hard in the chest.

It was then that I noticed the sounds of moving machinery, the sounds of bots mobilizing.

"This is not happening!" I snarled, slamming the door closed just as the robots began firing.

_So... pick my poison_ I thought as I slide to the floor. _Do I fight ANOTHER wave of bots? Or should I just go up the shaft… innuendos aside. _I winced as a shot gun blast slammed against the door.

_Yeah, shotguns hurt… I think I'll climb up the shaft._ With a growl, I turned and sprinted at the door… focusing my Aura into my legs. _Time to see if I still got it!_ With that thought in mind, I began to leap from wall to wall. The world blurred around me as I then jumped straight up as hard as I could.

It was then that I heard the screech of metal.

_Oh, Fuck me!_ I screamed in my mind, seeing the sparks above me. Keeping my speed, I began to run up the wall, straining my eyes for the flash of green that would be my exit. The elevator began to fall faster and faster, forcing me to keep a hand in front of my face so I wouldn't get a face full of sparks. Two steps from colliding with the elevator, I noticed a door with a green star on it.

_There!_ Time seemed to slow as I brought another surge of Aura. Jumping off the wall, I twisted in the air and brought out my shield, landing with my feet on the bottom of the elevator. With a wordless yell, I kicked off the wall and crashed through the doors of the elevator. I then tucked and rolled, landing with my sword and shield out and ready to fight. Behind me, I heard the elevator speed past and crash against the ground in what sounded like an explosion.

"Here is my stop." I panted out, "the judges give a double ten! With one arsehole giving a nine-and-a-half…" Seeing as I wasn't in any life threatening danger, my body then decided that now was the best time to fall forward.

_Hey, would ya look at that… I really am on the right floor._ I tiredly thought to myself when I noticed the green arrow on the ground. With a groan, I pushed myself off the ground and crossed my legs. Finally catching my breath, I concentrated on the aura that was within me. Instead of the brilliant white light that normally greeted me, all that remained of my aura was the equivalent to a torch.

_Maybe I should limit the heroics a little bit._ I thought with a grimace. _Oh well, lets go save the damsel in distress._ Rising to my feet, I shifted my weapons and put them away. Looking down at the green arrow, I slowly walked down a hall. As I walked along the path, I noticed that the state of the building slightly better maintained with a noticeable lack of blood painting the walls.

_I wonder what did this…_ I thought, thinking of multiple different possibilities. Noticing that my green arrow had finally been cut short. Raising my head, I finally noticed the wide doors to my right. Approaching it, I wiped away some dust (the non-magical kind!) from where I needed to insert the key card. Above it was a slider that said _security room_.

_Definitely is the place_. I thought as I knocked on the door. "Hello!?" I called.

The intercom scratched to life, "You actually made it! I thought the elevator had gotten you!"

"It takes more than a falling death trap to kill me apparently." I answered nonchalantly. "Now, do I just slide this thing right here?"

"You can... For whatever reason they installed an old slide scanner as well as the most recent design."

"Right then, here we go." I responded, sliding the card through the reader.

Nothing happened

I was initially worried that I had the wrong card when the door finally groaned to life, and out slipped the voice on the intercom.

It took in the sight before me. The girl wore a combination of white and black clothes, on her back was a strange mix of a sword and a trigger. My eyes then reached hers, noticing that they glowed with a soft yellow tint. Finally, I looked to the black bow that she had in her hair.

_Well hello there… _I sniffed the air, ignoring the scent of blood and gore that persisted in the air.

"Your one of the Wolf Faunus?" The girl said, her eyes widening in surprise.

I rolled my eyes in response, "Hello to you to… kitty." I growled. "Now before you say anything else that's blindingly obvious, would you mind telling me your name?"

"Blake Belladona." She answered, controlling her facial expression once more.

"Well, _Belladona_…" I say, giving her a wolfish smile. "My name is Solomon Wolfe… But I would prefer if you just called me _Wolfe _thank you very much."


	3. Hike through Forever

I took yet another deep breath of the forest air around me. Wincing slightly at the slight smell of sap.

_Its so good to not have to deal with the blood and decay… how long has it been since I could breath air like this? _

Looking at the trees, I had realized that I was being held somewhere in the Forever Fall Forest. Rolling my tired shoulders, I kept my senses as alert as possible. Looking or a hidden enemy in every rustle of leaves, ever singing bird...

_I refuse to be captured again._

Sniffing the air again, I was reminded of my feline company.

_I wonder, should I make a running tally of how many times I catch her staring at me?_ I thought to myself. _She could at least be discrete about it…_ I quickly turned my head and made eye contact with her. I chuckled softly at her vain attempt of covering for herself.

_At the very least, she isn't still embarrassed about having to go behind her through the ventilation shaft. _I shook my head, trying to bring focus back to the situation at hand. My captors, it would seem, have brought me over the mountains and valleys to an area in the middle of nowhere. A place which many of its own inhabitants have difficulties trying to navigate. Everything pointed back to someone trying to hide what they were doing, meaning whatever experimentation that had conducted on me was something that had to be kept strictly on the down-low. This being said, _Belladona_ here couldn't have possibly stumbled the across base during her leisurely stroll through the area. On the other hand, maybe she has the hots for dangerous locations.

I glanced at her, reminding myself that the girl before me was a Cat Faunus.

_She's a cat, they don't normally relish battle that's not likely… AAAANNND she's staring at me again, isn't she?_ I smirked to myself, struggling to remains serious for what I would say next.

"If you keep staring at me like that… I might get pregnant" I said, slouching my shoulders and pushing my index fingers against each other in feigned embarrassment

_and the acting award goes to…_

"Wha- WHAT!?" Blake yelled in surprise,

_if only we had an audience for this comedy._

"You heard me… with the way you are staring at me, people might get the wrong ideas about us." I said with a shrug, "Seriously, take me on a date first before you undress me with your eyes."

"I was not-!" she stammered out.

"Oh, really? Then would you please explain why the bloody hell you insist on staring at me like I just jumped out of a fairy tail and grew a new tail!?" I had turned toward her now, my arms crossed in front of my body.

"That's because you DID!" she snapped back,

_I hadn't expected that answer._ "What? Jump out of a fairy tail or grow a new tail?" I answered calmly.

She then stared at me, this time in absolute shock, "Don't you know the stories about you?"

I winced as unbidden memories jumped to the forefront of my mind, "Lets just say that I was… away from civilization for quite some time."

"Where have your kin BEEN anyway? You just disappeared off the face of Remnant for centuries! Where could you have possibly gone!?" She continued on.

"Back up a bit, there are stories about me? Or are they about my kin?" I asked, trying to lighten the mood.

"… They have been making stories about your kind ever since the Shattering, In every single one of the old fables, it is said that you went to the Northern Iceland's."

I snorted in amusement, "We've never been NEAR the North, we made our home in the Ice Forest…" I she looked at me in confusion. "… we went South." I sighed.

"You were all renowned Faunus Warriors, the Pack-"

"Nearly got it" I Interrupted her, "The name was and always has been _Shield of the Pack_… although _The Pact_ is reserved for the whole, the _Shield_ for the Knights and Warriors.."

"Fine then! Where have you been for all this time? All this time we needed you!?" She snapped.

"You should know the answer to that, I'm damn sure it says why we left in your history books." I stopped walking and turns toward her, my arms crossed.

"Then why don't YOU tell me?" She asked, eyes blazing.

_Damn it, she's as stubborn as an ox_ I thought angrily, "Sit down then, this is going to be quite the story… " I told her, leaning against one of the red trees. Walking past me, she jumped up to one of the lower branches of the tree I was leaning on.

"Well? I'm waiting!" She said, still annoyed.

I took a deep breath, and prepared to say the tale that I had been told since I was young.

"Since the Dawn of Life, or what humanity calls it, The Dawn of Man, we have been at war." I paused, noticing the pleasant silence."

"War with each other." As I told the story, I reached for the black rod that was my weapon.

"War with the Grim…" I let my blade, my _Fang_, extend into a sword,

"But perhaps, the greatest of all.. was the War between Faunus and Man." I held the blade in front of me, checking the segmented pieces as well as the family crest that was just after the hilt.

"No one knows how the races appeared on Remnant… nor did we know why." I said, flourishing the three feet of silver steel.

"What we do know is that our conflict happened long before any other war had taken place." I finally sighed, hitting the button to collapse the edge."

"The first of Man were what the Faunus to be blood-thirsty brutes." I saw the segmented edge quickly collapse.

"The first of the Fauna were what Man considered weaklings" The cross guards unfolded and sheathed the edge.

"In truth, Man brought forth the strongest of Warriors, while Faunus brought forth the Wisest of all." I paused, listening to the wind passing through the trees..

"It was when we were at our very weakest, that the Darkness rose from the Shadows." I spoke as I now reached for my shield.

"When Life first encountered the Dark, we attempted to flee, for they were Fear and Evil given a physical manifestation." I spoke, slipping my hand through the metallic grip that was on the back of the rod.

"Yet we could never outrun them." I said, hitting the button to unfold my shield.

"Then the Faunus and Humans united and fought against our Nightmares." I spoke, twisting my hand to make sure it was undented. It was impossible, but old habits die hard.

"But For everyone of our own, There were five of the enemy," I sighed, staring at the crest that decorated the shield.

"We could not outfight them." I said.

"But when all seemed lost, and the Darkness threatened to overcome all of Life. It was then, that Life fought their hardest." I said, sliding to the ground, "Learned our Strength."

"Faunus were those who first unlocked the Aura, we used our wisdom to thrive, and Man used their ingenuity to develop the substance we now know as Dust." I spoke, allowing my aura to flow into my hand.

"But When the Grim had finally been driven back, when the Darkness had finally been vanquished."

"Man and Faunus broke their vows of peace, Brother turned on Brother for supremacy… Yet this War would be a different fight than before." Sighed, looking at the falling scarlet leaves.

"Humanity took the knowledge of Aura, and Faunus used the powers of Dust."

I raised my left hand. "The Snow, took the teachings of The Scarlet."

"And the Ox took the powers of the Valkyries." I said, lowering my left and raising my right hand.

"The Battles that ensued were bloody and terrible, Where before, one could easily recognize who fought who. Now, Friend and Foe became blurred, as the powers of Humanity and Fauna Mixed." I sighed and lowered my hands.

"But not every group, not every Pack, fought in this war. There was a secret treaty, signed between two of these factions," I said, gesturing at myself. "That directed their sights to the Darkness along the borders."

"We knew who the true enemies were, The Grimm Dreams that licked their wounds in the shadows where most never passed." I said, looking at the Beowulf tooth that I hung around my neck.

"It was that day, that the greatest knights of Remnant swore to each other. The Shield of the Arcs would join with the Shields of the Pack" I spoke, drawing a symbol on the ground.

"To form a Wall between the Darkness and the rest Life" Drawing my Crest on the left.

"This is the Pact that we have made." I said, drawing the Crest for the Arcs."The rest, however, Is a tale for another time."

"… And that is the story that I have been told since I was a pup…" I finish with a sigh, "Am I write to assume you have questions?" I asked as a rose to my feet.

"Yes.. I do." Blake said slowly.

"Ask away… do take care though…" I said with a smirk "Curiosity DID kill the cat you know."

"I just find it incredibly hard to believe that only the Wolves and the Arcs, whoever THEY are., were the only ones who decided not to fight." She said.

"Think about it, we finally drove back the Grimm." I answered, "People wanted to believe that they were gone for good… out of sight and out of mind."

"Did you offer to let some of the others go with you?"

" 'Course we did…" I answered with a shrug, "But no one wanted to work with each other."

"And what about The War? The Grimm were present then! How come nobody saw you?"

"That's because we WERE there… The Arcs rejoined society..." I said.

"And the Wolfs?"

"We did what we were trained to do, we Hunted the Grimm, focusing on the bigger individuals and the bigger packs… The Arcs became the Knights in shining armor while we remained in the myths and legends."

"Why did you split up? Wouldn't the Arcs have been better off fighting alongside you?" She asked.

I stretched and yawned before answering "Not at all… you lot were running around like a bunch of headless chickens, The Arcs were best suited in guiding the Life while we were better off in direct confrontation."

"How come you didn't do it the other way around?"

"Damn it! Do you ever stop asking questions?" I mutter softly to myself. Instead, I chose to say "In a world governed and ruled by Humanity, do you really think that _Faunus_ could have commanded the same level of respect and leadership?"

Blake shook her head.

"Besides, _Arc_ was still a well known Legend at the time. The Wolfs preferred the protection in hiding behind a Myth."

She was quiet for a long time, patiently going over what I had told her. Thinking she was done, I pushed myself off my tree and looked around. "Now, are you done? Because if we don't get moving we'll NEVER get back to civilization…"

"Just one question… How many Wolfs are left?"

_Damn it… She just had to ask that question._ I thought to myself, trying to find an answer.

"Well… there ARE more of you… right?" she asked slowly.

"Before I answer that… what is today's day?"

"Faunus or Human calendar?" She asked, looking at me strangely

"Human, their method was always much easier anyway."

"March 6th I believe." She said hesitantly. "Not sure though."

_Damn, that means I have been here for at least one year…_

"One more crazy question… How long has it been since The War?" I asked... hand shaking in fright.

"… I can't be too sure… MAYBE four generations ago?"

I felt all the blood in my face as she said those words. "Sorry," I chocked out. "but how long is a generation by your standards?"

"I like to use twenty-five years as a safe be-" suddenly she was next to me, staring into my eyes. "What's wrong?"

"Look… its nothing." I sighed "About your first question? If there were other Wolf Fauna?" She nodded in response. "There aren't any." I said bluntly.

The look of shock on her face might have been funny if I had pranked her…

Unfortunately, I wasn't joking.

"What? How can you be so sure?" she asked.

"Why do you think? Because I was there!" I snapped at her. We had just finished fighting this wave of Grim when they were ambushed, all right?"

"Ambushed by who?"

"I don't know!" I growled, "I managed to escape and I tried to go home" I sighed, releasing my anger, "… They didn't even let the pups live."

She was quiet again, I figured I might as well finish. "SOMEONE was systematically hunting down my kind, attacking specifically when we were at our weakest and most divided."

"Do you want revenge?" She asked softly.

I snorted "Of course I do… but that doesn't mean I'll act on that desire."

"What do you mean?"

"We all have to take vows, everything we do MUST be someway linked to killing the Grim… that's the purpose of the Pact we made." I noticed her confused expression and continued, "… Think of it this way, I can take a Job in the city if I need money to fight Grim… But since my enemy thinks I'm dead...t. The thing is, the two sides recognised ot try to kill each other?emies... Grim...m...our weakest and most .nthat t"

"You have no reason to seek revenge…" Blake finished.

"Smart girl" I said with a tired smile, " By the way, how much do you know about the Wolves and the Arcs? I mean… we must have been gone for a very long time…"

"I… like to read a lot." She said softly, "I stumbled across an old fairy tale book and decided to read it… Although I've never heard of "Arc" before."

"Honestly? That doesn't surprise me." I said with a shrug, "The Arcs are a Human Legend… That and the fact that once upon a time we were practically Arch enemies…"

"You were!? Then how did you possibly get along and not try to kill each other?" She said in surprise.

"The thing is, the two sides recognized who the real enemy was… The Grim" I said, "But enough about this… we have to get moving and I realized that I have two major problems at hand."

"And those would be?" she asked, leading the way once again.

"One… What the hell are we going to do once we get to the city?" I asked, "Do you have any cash on you?" _Glad she took the bait… that is one conversation I DO NOT want to go down. _

She shook her head.

"Also… it MIGHT be a good idea to hide some of my more notable… features." I said, wagging my tail flicking my ears to make my point.

"Neither of those will be a problem." She said.

"How so?" I asked… getting the feeling that I wouldn't like the answer.

"For the money problem… look around you." She said as she gestured with her hand. "All we have to do is get some of the sap here… then we can trade-"

"Let me stop you there and say HELL no." I growled.

"I have a back-up plan… but WHY is this an issue?" she asked as she crossed her arms.

"…err…How do I explain this…" I replied hesitantly "…well… Ursa Grim are known to attack people who try to collect the Sap..."

"They shouldn't be a problem for the two of us…" she said, drumming her fingers on her arm.

".. damn it…"I paused again "Well… you see my nose is very keen…"

"So? Get to the point!" she uncrossed her hands and went to fiddle with her bow.

"Fine! My kind have a keen hatred of strong smells and noises!" I snapped, "Onions? Yuck. Forever Fall tree sap? Burns our noses. Durian? I would much rather eat rotten meat… Tuna?" I let loose a snarl, "don't get me started!"

"So… the weakness of the greatest knights the Faunus ever had… is strong smelling food?" I could tell she was barely holding back her laughter. "Why isn't it hurting you now anyway?"

"Because the sap is still in the trees… drawing it out would change that." I growled "In our defense, we can block it off when we fight... There is a reason why you don't see us often in cities."

"Fine." She chuckled, "Then we can pick up something on the train."

"Don't trains need money? Cash that we don't have?" I asked.

She turned and gave me a sly smile, eyes shining with mischief. "Not if you are clever…"

"I KNEW that I wasn't going to like this!" I moaned,

"What? We need a ride! The only way out of here is to sneak onto a train!"

"It's a matter of my principles…" I said softly.

"I thought you could and would do _anything_" she emphasized "so long as it helped against the fight with the Grim."

"Yeah well, it'll leave a bad taste in my mouth." I sighed.

"Oh? The same as taste as tuna? Or maybe durians…"

"I'm going to regret ever telling you that… aren't I?" I said, finally giving up.

"Without a doubt," she said giggling slightly.

"Well… it could be worse I guess."

"Yes it could be…" she replied.

"You could have made me to use my body…" I paused when she looked at me with a confused look. "What? I have a delicate figure!"

Her response was lost in the laughter that took over her.

_Why is it so easy to get people to laugh at my expense?_

_-( Line Break) -_

I winced at the loud noises from the stations. I could hear the random conversations of every Human and every Faunus. I could hear the Dust Rocks being loaded into the train. I could hear a man yelling and offering tickets. I could hear another yelling at a Faunus, calling them degrading things. I knew it would get to this point, I had literally heard the station from at least a mile away… Yet nothing could have prepared me for the clutter of a simple station.

The smells were several times more potent. I could smell the sweat that practically radiated from the people. I could smell the piss that coated a tree nearby, a smell that also came from the city itself. I could smell the cargo that was being transported. I could smell the perpetual fear that the Faunus had for their overseers.

"Holy Hell…" I growled to myself "how do people live like this?"

"Like what?" Blake asked, distracted.

"All this Noise! All these scents! I knew that humanity had dulled senses…. But what about the Faunus workers?"

"The first time is always loud… But after you live near it enough you can block out the background." The Cat said as she shrugged.

"Tell me that it gets quieter at night? Are the cities like this too?" I asked, pushing aside the scarlet leaves in order to get a better look.

"It does get quieter at night." She muttered, "And cities are several times worse than this, don't worry."

I glanced to my right to find her mocking smirk, "Its nice to know how 'Legends' are treated nowadays…" I mumble to myself.

"How trained are you in stealth?" She asked, still staring at the station.

"Physical or Social?" I asked as I put my back against the tree trunk and gazed at the setting sky.

"Any stealth that can be done in cities… And stop answering my questions with questions."

"Why?" I asked. After she had finished rolling her eyes I continued, "If I had something to conceal my ears and tail then we COULD go right now."

"Don't you have anything on you?"

"Kitty, I just broke out of a laboratory in which they did tests on me… AND I woke up naked." I growled. "What do you think?"

"Right, I admit… it was a stupid question." Blake sighed to herself.

"… Truthfully, I CAN conceal the wolf traits with my Aura…" I say slowly.

"Then why-?" She looked at me, bow twitching.

"The tail is easy…. I see you doing it too." I interrupted "There IS a way to hid the ears, but it takes too much aura and I need to concentrate REALLY hard."

"How long can you manage it?" she asked, eyes narrowing.

"Tops? Five minutes… and I was the top of my class." I sigh, "So basically? Its pretty useless"

"Can't you flatten your ears or something?"

"I'm not a Hound… Wolves don't equate to Dogs, although there ARE some similarities." I answer, "Moving on, I AM trained to hide in crowds.. I can tell you that much. But I'll still attract attention so were better off waiting for night fall."

"Hopefully we can catch a train by then…" Blake mutters, laying down on her branch.

"Yeah, lets hope that will be the least of our troubles…" I said. I then stretched and with a mighty yawn I closed my eyes and waited for sleep to come.


End file.
